Confessions

Recently, I had the pleasure of spending six nights kicking it in Jacksonville, Florida with my dear friend Angie. And I do mean kicking it. I must admit that for a second time (I also visited for a few days in 2015 in which we literally barely left Angie’s apartment — in our defense, it snowed)…

It’s hard to believe these days, but once upon a time, I was a fearless flyer. I’d giddily look forward to being in flight as my “me time” when I could disconnect from the world and relax. My more anxiety-prone friends would vie to sit next to me since I’d just laugh and reassure them when…

As my biggest getaway of 2016, I spent plenty of time meticulously planning my six week trip to Brazil. And yet for all my research and reading, nothing can actually prepare you for the culture shock of completely immersing yourself in a new country, new language, and new lifestyle. So many aspects of Brazil took me completely…

“You’re a dumpster fire of a human, this is the worst blog on the entirety of the internet, and I hope you slip on a banana peel in a very public place with recording devices present.” While this isn’t technically a direct quote of any comment I’ve received in my five years of blogging at Alex…

When I read about Koh Tao in the international media – a statement that has only been possible in the last two years or so – I literally feel like I’m reading about a place I’ve never been before. What is this terrible seedy island, full of sinister gangsters, riled up murderers and ominous threats? (Every…

How much do I hate not having 20/20 vision? Let me count the ways. I’m not going to lie: this is a post about disappointment, medical drama, and dealing with corneal scarring. It’s kind of a downer. On the upside, there is some Star Wars in there too. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Back…

Physically, the key I dangled from my finger was little more than an intricately cut, nearly weightless piece of brass. But as I looked down at this particular sliver of metal for the last time, it felt like much more. Giving a spare one to a neighbor is a sign of trust. Presenting a fresh one…

I'm a New York native who left my home to explore the world slowly and thoroughly. I’m just a little obsessed with photography, scuba diving, and reading guidebooks to countries I have no immediate plans to visit.